New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-26
TPaupS AyD MJLLJOyaJRES.

Henry George says that if his land CON
fscation fallacy is adopted " the result will
be to abolish the inequality tina produces the
tramp and the millionaire OF course, w
prefer to believe that Mr.. G"orgc really be-
lcvcs what he says, but this po, can
only be taken after conccding tat his con-
illusions are singularly ill-croundcd. The
abolition Of the inequality which produces
the tramp and the millionaire is a. practical
an undertaking as would be tho abolition
Of those laws of nature which produce death
by frccz ng at one end Of the scale. and death
by suEsIrOlc at the other. The tramp and
the millionaire have always cx,tc under
every form Of government. in every age, in
every st9gc Of civilization. They h W G -
sted always because they are the products
not as Mr.. George thinks. of so slight factor
as the land question, but OF those dlifc FENCES
Of character. temperament and capac ty VIII CHI
are as much beyond legislative control "a the
courses Of the stars. The potential tramp is
the man who was born lazy. who has neither
ambition nor sclf-rcspcct who cares for moth
ing but the indulgence of his animal appctilcs
The potential m lionare is tn, born work
cr; the man who from youth up has an am
btion: who possesses frmness to deny him.
self who conqucrs his appctitcs who Looks
before and calculates and labors for the
coming time Take two such men, one with
tho tramps incidence the other with the
millionaircs thrift and industry; put them
down side by side naked and helpless a
desert island; and in one year the one will
lie what he was at first, namely paurcr
while the other will have become a capitalist
Henry George is doing the poor anyth NJ but
kindness in trying to persuade them that
legislation either can ought to altr the
conditions which depend upon the inherent
differences between men. IL is absurd Il
pretend, as he does, that progress aid C .ual-
iZation are attainabc through his patent
medicine theory. IL is absurd To assumr, rs he
does that everybody wants land that every
body would take land if they could get il
that tho possession Of land has Fundamental
relation to the advance of huma, society
1t is not philosophy but fustian whoa char
aclcrizes such wild and VIII ring W, rdi "a
Mr. George addressed the other night to hi,
Brooklyn audience. IL may deceive the m r.
ignorant but only 10 their confusion an'
harm, and it is distinctly unfricndly to teach
them such foolishncss and fallacy
There never will come a time when Tho
American people will be prepared to try Mr.
Georges experiment. but he may succeed il
making many peone dissatisfied with thci
condition, and he may persuade some t.
abandon substance for shadow. all those
who inherit the tramp nature. who think
Is the world owes them living who were
born tired, and who cannot 500 why the rich
should not "divide up arc. Of course Ger
tain 10 indorse Mr.. George. He tells then
that success in life Is crime, that the in.
capable and idle ought to share equally with
the capable and industrious, and that Gin.
cqnalities' can be removed by his panaoea
But tho men who get on in the world dont
do it by listening to that kind OF stuff, bu
by putting their shoulders to the wheel
While Mr.. Georges followers arc discuss